Home secretary Amber Rudd, who chaired the meeting, said: “The founding members of the Business Against Slavery Forum have shown bravery by refusing to ignore the fact forced labour can be a problem in any supply chain and by coming together to do even more to combat it.

“They have refused to turn their backs on the victims of this barbaric crime. I hope other firms will do the same so together we can force slavery out of hidden corners of the supply chains that contribute to the products and services which are part of all our daily lives.”

The forum will be a platform to help businesses identify, tackle and prevent slavery in their supply chains, to encourage them to share intelligence and best practice and to help improve the quality of Modern Slavery Act reporting.